


Negative Connotations

by Bay



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Noir, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-02
Updated: 2012-07-02
Packaged: 2017-11-09 01:11:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/449597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bay/pseuds/Bay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I may have a soft spot for her."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Negative Connotations

**Author's Note:**

> For the [Noir Comment Ficathon](http://eternal-elenea.livejournal.com/102733.html) going on at LJ. The prompt I went for is “Clint/Natasha. Bang, bang shot you dead, shot my lover in the head...”

A bullet pierced through her forehead, the blood soaking on her black dress. Her eyes stared at the ceiling, as if she was waiting for a miracle to happen. She lied on the bed like a beautiful doll being tossed carelessly somewhere.  
  
Clint Barton stared at the dead body for quite some time, dragging the cigarette onto the corner of his mouth. How long, seconds, minutes, he wasn’t sure. He expected the police to come to the motel soon, so he kept gazing and had himself be lost in his thoughts.   
  
+++  
  
It started off as a chase. A man who went by the name of Loki wanted him to find a lady rumored to frequent jazz bars. The Black Widow, she was known in the streets. Can speak several languages fluently, one person claimed. Seduces men to do her bidding before murdering them and running off. She sounded like a troublemaker all right, but nonetheless he agreed to this case.   
  
He met her at a bar in downtown Los Angeles, where the music being played was smooth, the drinks tasted sweet, and the people danced like there was no tomorrow. She sat next to Clint, ordering a cocktail not only for her but for him too. He glimpsed at her, remembering the description Loki told him—a redhead, always wears a low cut black dress, has this mysterious air about her. The woman fits all those perfectly. Still, he wanted to make sure.  
  
“What’s your name so that I don’t have to keep calling you darling?” Clint asked as he moved his seat closer to her. A tiny smile pulled on his lips.   
  
The lady offered him a smirk and said, “Natasha. And yours?”  
  
“Clint.” It was only common courtesy.  
  
+++  
  
After Clint finished his cigarette, he dropped it into the trashcan and lit up another one. Taking one quick glance at her, he thought that black dress suits her namesake well. He continued to wait.  
  
+++  
  
“He’s right that I do go to bars and can speak several languages, otherwise he’s lying over everything else.”  
  
They met outside late evening at an alley between a diner and an office building. She told him Loki had connections with the underground mafia and reason he wanted her was so he could his hands on the infamous sapphire stone necklace, the Tesseract. Clint heard about that particular expensive jewelry once or twice before, thinking it was just an L.A. myth.   
  
“You need to be careful with Loki, he won’t hesitate to call for backup. Promise me you’ll be careful.”  
  
This wasn’t the first time that Clint had to decide who to trust, but he believed he could trust her.   
  
“I will, promise.”   
  
In gratitude, Natasha threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. He didn’t pull back.   
  
+++  
  
He decided to step outside as the police chief should come any minute now. The air smelled of smoke and alcohol and salt.   
  
A part of Clint wondered if he was dreaming. He hated how sometimes realities turned to dreams and dreams to reality.   
  
One gunshot was all it took to kill her, one fucking gun shot. She shouldn’t have fallen that easily.   
  
+++  
  
Clint came over to Natasha’s apartment a few times. He thought she enjoyed his company, believing she got lonely sometimes without a roommate around. They talked over stuff not relating to Loki or Los Angeles or jazz bars, which was nice. He found himself growing closer to her with each visit.  
  
She was an excellent kisser, the way she gave a great deal of attention on his lips. When they dropped together on the bed, all he could think about was his fingers tearing at her silky red curls, their hips rocking together, how this felt so wrong but also so right which sounded cliché but he didn’t care. He wanted to say darling, darling, only to be afraid of falling apart.   
  
+++  
  
_Shot my lover in the head_ . That ran through his head several times, repeating like a broken record. Overused expression, but that was exactly how he felt. He frowned.   
  
Lovers seemed to be the only word he could describe between him and Natasha. He never liked the word as it left negative connotations in the streets, yet their romance was  _exactly_  that.   
  
“And they ran away together without a care in the world. The end,” he said softly to himself, wondering if there was a way to change this bittersweet end he gave her.   
  
+++  
  
He got a call from Loki, telling him he got the Black Widow and to meet him at his mansion if he wanted her back. His heart skipped a beat. Right away, he left the motel room he was staying for the night and drove to the location.   
  
By the time Clint reached there, Loki was on the floor with a knife stuck on his throat and several men scattered just as bloody and dead. No Natasha at sight.  
  
+++  
  
Chief Nick Fury and his men arrived shortly after to check over the scene. There was a sheet covering Natasha’s body .The police chief approached Clint.  
  
“Such a shame a beautiful lady like her had to die.”  
  
“It is,” he said in agreement.  
  
“I guess we’ll never know about the Tesseract, huh?”  
  
“Most likely, no. On the other hand, stories from this city tend to resurfaced.”  
  
A short silence between the men until Nick asked, “You like her, didn’t you? I could tell by your eyes.”  
  
Already expecting him to say that, he smiled a little. “I may have a soft spot for her.”   
  
+++  
  
He found her back at his motel room and was greeted with a gun pointed at him.   
  
“I take it you managed to escape without a scratch,” he said.  
  
Slight amusement flickered in Natasha’s eyes. “Sometimes I’m amazed how it’s easy to fool a man, especially a detective.”   
  
Clint didn’t flinch upon hearing that comment.   
  
“I have some questions to ask you. First, how Loki kidnapped you?”  
  
“I had just left from a bar and then got hit on the back of my head. By the time I regain consciousness, Loki was in front of me.”  
  
“The Tesseract,” Clint murmured. It wasn’t a question.  
  
“Yes. Loki wanted to know where I hid it, but I didn’t tell him. After that, he was about to pull his gun and…well, you know the rest.”  
  
Clint remained quiet for a brief moment speaking once more. “How you got the Tesseract in the first place?”   
  
“I had been trying to find that jewelry for a while and finally did shortly before meeting you. I convinced a man to tell me where he hid it before killing him.”   
  
Somehow that didn’t surprise him. Continuing with the interrogation, he asked, “Why you wanted it?”  
  
“Money, of course. I had some good offers, but none comes close to how much the Tesseract is worth.”  
  
“Do you still have the Tesseract? If so, did you do anything with it?”   
  
“I hid the jewelry somewhere within the city where Loki wouldn’t be able to find it, but I’m also not telling you.”  
  
He hesitated at first, but then asked, “Why you have your gun in front of me right now?”   
  
“You now know that I killed Loki and his men. I can’t let anyone know that.”   
  
Instantly, Clint got out his gun. Both of them attempted to pull the trigger, then—   
  
A bullet pierced through her forehead, the blood soaking on her black dress. Her eyes stared at the ceiling, as if she was waiting for a miracle to happen. She lied on the bed like a beautiful doll being tossed carelessly somewhere.   
  
+++  
  
Clint came back to his apartment around a little after three in the morning. He dragged himself into the bedroom and dived into bed, not bothering to change his clothes. His eyes caught the moonlight peeking out from the window. A long night, but he couldn’t be able to sleep just yet. Immediately, he stood up and gazed outside for a while.  
  
He chose the highest floor of this apartment because he liked gazing Los Angeles at night with its lights, glamor, and glory. It was clearer to keep track what was going on that way.   
  
It was safe to say he fell for Natasha, all things considered. He had been in love a few times before, but there was no doubt she was the most dangerous and memorable.


End file.
